


The Crystal Clearing

by artemis101



Category: Gotham (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Don't copy to another site, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-09-01
Packaged: 2020-10-05 03:37:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,598
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20482229
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/artemis101/pseuds/artemis101
Summary: While fleeing from a group of thugs Oswald runs into the forest that everyone in Gotham knew to avoid. While there he meets a man. A “man” that doesn’t mind making the odd deal with people every now and then.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote The Crystal Clearing for the Gotham Big Bang and I hope you enjoy it! Avocado-Cadaver drew an amazing picture for it and you can view it right here. https://avocado-cadaver.tumblr.com/post/187379515000/the-crystal-clearing-author-artemis101-artist

He wouldn’t be able to make it much farther. Every step sent pain spiraling through his leg, every heartbeat lent more blood to the wound that had been ripped across his stomach. The uneven terrain caused him to stumble while roots tripped him and brambles grabbed at his pants. Oswald could not make it much farther. He had escaped the danger of the townspeople only by running into an entirely different one. The full moon cast shadows from the trees around him distorting the already terrifying forest into a realm of looming monsters. Everyone knew that the forest was to be avoided for any and all reasons, that had been the only thing that had prevented Fish’s people from following him but now he had to hope he could survive here while wounded long enough to either wait the group out or find a different way through the forest. Distracted by looking around for anything dangerous, Oswald’s eyes missed the large root slightly raised above the ground, unfortunately, his foot did not. With a loud thud, Oswald hit the ground sending splinters of pain through his entire body and the shock to his system became too much. Fading out of consciousness he nearly missed the shape slinking out of the darkness. Nearly.

***

Edward was surprised to see someone else so far into his domain. People had stopped entering the forest years ago. Even the bravest, or perhaps the most idiotic were deterred from breaching the walls of trees and yet here was some man fumbling through the branches. His anger burned away to simple irritation as he saw the man crumble to the ground. Ed had not even approached the man and he was already falling apart from being here. He left the shadows that had been concealing him and crouched by him. The blood seeping into the ground became glaringly obvious from his position and he turned the man over to see the source. Blood welled up from a large gash that was slashed from his lower stomach and across his ribs, stopping just under where the heart would lie. “I live here to escape the cruelty of those outside and you people still manage to bring it into my home.” Ed murmured not sure if he was speaking to himself or the man’s unconscious form. “I should finish the job. Dig me wands into the wound and pull it open even farther, see what I can pull out of you, watch your hearts final beats. Or perhaps I should just leave you here to slowly bleed out and see if you wake up long enough to experience your suffering.”

With a sigh, Ed stood and walked away.

***

Oswald woke to muted light pouring across his face. With a groan, he tried to roll over only for piercing agony to radiate through his bones particularly his leg and torso. Opening his eyes he saw bushy, green canopy raised high above him instead of the typical dull brown that assaulted his eyes when he woke up. With a start, he jerked up only for the early pain to cause him to lie back with a groan. The night before came flooding back. Fish’s goons had caught him when he was returning home and had tried to kill him. The initial surprise of the attack had allowed Butch to catch him across the chest with a sharp knife, and after that, he had managed to knock some barrels down from a cart to block them for long enough for him to be able to evade their pursuit. The real problem was how he had managed to survive the night in the forest that surrounded Gotham. All of the people of Gotham knew that no one came out alive if they went into the forest, even those who were just traveling through the steadily growing village. The question, potentially more important subject was how he was still alive at all, he should have bled out way before morning. A quick run of his hand over his chest answered his question. Bandages had been securely wrapped around his torso and he guessed that if they were removed he would find stitching of some sort sealing the edges of the skin together. Oswald heaved himself up into a sitting position, a bandaged wound meant he was not the only person here. He vaguely recalled seeing someone in the dark but he could not be sure that person had been real. Fear enabled him to move quickly, even though every motion hurt. Once he had labored into a sitting position Oswald saw a message written into the dirt with a stick sitting under the words. ‘Leave that way ←or die. Use the stick for walking.’ Oswald looked around as if the person who wrote the note would still be there avoiding calling out in case anything unfriendly overheard him. Unsurprisingly they were not. Ignoring the jolt of pain that came from bending over Oswald picked up the stick. With a huff, he began walking.

***

Unbeknownst to Oswald, Ed was there waiting to see if the man would heed his warning. He was unwilling to give many people a chance but he knew what being driven away was like and with an injury like that then the stranger was certainly running away from others. If letting him go encouraged anyone else to attempt to walk in his woods then he would deal with them when the time came. Until then Ed had to make sure this stranger followed his instructions or he would meet a much more painful death than the one he had escaped last night.

***

Getting back to the edge of the woods was an arduous task that Oswald struggled with. He had to lean heavily on trees and constantly take breaks just to keep standing. He also knew that escaping the danger within the woods would mean putting himself back in harms ways when he snuck back into town. It was almost enough to make him want to just stop but he the death he might face in the forest around him could be worse. At least in the town, he knew what he was up against. After what felt like an eternity Oswald made it to the brambles that marked the edge of the woods. With a tremendous amount of effort and a great heave at the end, Oswald pulled himself through the brambles and out to the other side. He wasn’t sure when he had woken up but judging by the position of the sun and the heat it was currently around late afternoon. As exhausted as he was he knew he could not stop to rest out in the open where he could be seen. It was unlikely that anyone would be looking for him or even suspecting that he had managed to survive but it was still best not to be seen. With what little energy he had remaining Oswald forced himself forward once more. Thankfully the rest of his trip was uneventful and he managed to make it into his home after discarding his makeshift walking stick. Walking in a wave of sadness swept over him. If his mother were still alive she would be nagging him about whatever painted lady he had spent the night with. He made his way to the chair resting in the living room. He needed to wash up, clean his wound and apply new bandages but first, a quick nap wouldn’t hurt. He fell into the chair head slumping and body immediately going lax.

***

Edward was relieved to see the man finally exit his territory. The walk had been terribly boring and was made worse by the slow pace the man had. He knew that the injury the man had prevented a faster pace but it was still irritating. Regardless following the man was better than just expecting him to leave and being surprised later if the man came upon him later. That needed to be avoided at all costs. He sat near the entrance long after the strange man had left guarding it to make sure no one came back. Once it became apparent that no one would be stupid enough to come to the forest or in the man’s case stupid enough to return Ed turned away from the edge of the woods and strode back to the heart of the forest, glad to be unencumbered by the speed he had been stuck traveling with before.


	2. Chapter 2

Oswald woke up invigorated by his nap. He had plenty to do but the first thing on his list was a bath. The warm, bubbly water washed away the stress, pain, dirt, and blood of the past two days. He was careful not to put too much pressure on his wounded torso and it twinged a bit when he stretched to wash his legs but other than that everything was perfect. He soaked long after he became pruney just letting all of the tension bleed out but to soon the water became too cold to remain in. Oswald reluctantly pulled himself out of the tub and began the task of rebandaging his wounded chest. He had been right about the stitching though he wasn’t sure what had been used. The material did not look like ordinary thread, it was unlike anything he had seen before if he was being honest. The way it was done so neatly suggested that a professional or at the very least someone with some form of medical training had sown him up. Oswald was careful to wrap a new bandage around the stitching without causing them to tear open. It had been harder to keep it dry but at least then he didn’t have to attempt to get the bandage all the way around his torso. It took a longer amount of time then he would have liked but Oswald eventually managed to finish.

Once dressed he carefully flopped into the living room chair to think over his next course of action. One blessing would be that without having to work with Fish he would have less chance of ripping his stitches but it left him in an incredibly uncomfortable position. He had to get a job to pay for the apartment but Fish had eyes everywhere. It was unlikely that he would be able to remain unseen by her crew in Gotham due to how small it was. Getting caught would mean that he had only delayed a painful death instead of avoiding it altogether. Leaving wasn’t an option either though. Gotham was the only home he had ever known and it held the last ties he had to his mother. He wouldn’t be able to take anything but the locket of hers he kept if he left. He moved to grab the locket out of his discarded pants only to be met with the warm fabric of an empty pocket. Oswald desperately felt around hoping he had missed it. He pulled the inside out but it was just as empty as before. He checked the other pockets but was met with the same result. Dread permeated through his chest. Oswald knew the only place he could have lost it was the forest. Even injured none of Fish’s goons had managed to grab him, which meant it had to have slipped out while he journeyed through the forest. One of the branches might have snagged it or it could have fallen out while he was unconscious if he shifted around. Or the worst possible option. It was stolen by whoever patched him up. He fell to his knees shaking the flash of pain barely registered. The most important thing he had of his mothers and he managed to lose it. Oswald gasped, struggling to breathe. Dark spots were dancing at the corner of his vision before he finally managed to breathe consistently. He hated the very idea but he knew that he would never be able to live with himself if he didn’t try to find it, even if it meant going into the forest. But he couldn’t do it tonight. Entering once had been dangerous enough especially at night. He would cut the danger down as much as he could before he went back in.

***

Oswald tossed and turned all night, guilt eating at his insides. He thought of the locket lying forlornly somewhere in the dirt slowly rusting into a hunk of unidentifiable metal while the pictures inside decayed all because he had carelessly left it behind. So consumed with the need to leave the forest that he never even checked to make sure he still held his most valuable possession. What little sleep he got was haunted with the same idea. He removed himself from the bed shortly before the sun breached the horizon. He wouldn’t enter the woods while it was still dark but he had to get out of the town before everyone woke up and he wanted to eat breakfast and pack a small lunch that he could eat once he returned if he returned. He thought that at the very least he would die for a worthy cause if that’s what it all came down to. Oswald’s breakfast was nothing more than toast since he feared he wouldn’t be able to keep anything substantial down. With his lunch packed he peeked out of the door and seeing the hallway of the apartment building was empty her quickly left the room only stooping to lock it before walking down several flights of stairs. Once he accomplished this he made his way through the door and from there he cautiously made his way through the town only stopping once he made it to the small wall of brambles. He hid as close to them as he could without his clothing getting tangled in them. Just looking at them made him want to turn and walk back to the town but he steeled his resolve. He had survived once and maybe he would be lucky enough to do it again. After all, fortune favors the bold.

After hours of waiting, the sun’s light cast away much of the darkness that had only been illuminated by the stars and the sliver of moon. Oswald deemed it bright enough to enter the brambles. It was less difficult than he remembered but that certainly didn’t make it easy. His clothing would be extremely difficult to repair but he cast that thought to the back of his mind as he stared at the ground looking for any flash of gold that would signal he had found the necklace. Sadly he saw none and was soon through the briars and under the canopy of the trees once more. With a deep breath, Oswald began to walk through the forest the way he had previously gone when he left, his eyes sweeping over the ground. There would be no helpful light to help him now, the thick leaves blocking out mass amounts of sunshine. Sometimes he saw dust motes sparkling in the slivers of light that burst through but all they did was serve to distract him. Other than those motes everything fell away. Oswald became lost in his task even managing to forget where he was. That is until a voice echoed cracked through the emptiness that surrounded Oswald and echoed off of the trees. “I had hoped that you would be smart enough to realize that returning to my forest was a mistake. My own fault I suppose but since you’re here I hope you’ll understand that I have to dispose of you this time. After all, escaping once could be a stroke of pure luck, but twice? You’ll ruin the reputation this place has of being a nightmarish hell that few even walk away from once.”

Oswald looked around rapidly both terrified and hoping to see the owner of the voice but no one was visible. Tremors ran through him as he continued to glance around for whoever spoke. Chuckling sounded all around him. “It’s a noble effort but a futile one nonetheless. Try as you might you aren’t going to see me.”

“Ppplease,” words finally spilled free from Oswald's mouth, “I just came back to find a a necklace. It belonged to my mother.”

“You risked your life for a simple necklace? I thought you were stupid when you entered here the first time, but to return for a necklace. You’re either more idiotic than I originally believed or horrendously reckless.”

“It’s not just a necklace. It’s all I have left of her and all I know of my father. Please, I’m just trying to find it. Once I do, I'll leave and I won’t ever come back, you have my word.”

“I can’t help but notice you said nothing about returning if you didn’t find it.”

“I plan on finding it, I have to.” Oswald was firm in his last sentence, his body no longer shaking.

“Humor me then, if you don’t find it, let’s say by sundown, what then?”

“You’re the only person I’ve met in these woods and by the way you talk it seems to me like you’re in charge so I would ask if I could venture here once more so that I could continue my search.”

“Hmm, well your answer is better than some of the ones I’ve heard in the past. I can be broken without being touched, what am I?”

“What? Is that? Are you asking me a riddle?”

“Do you like riddles?”

“No.”

“What a shame. The answer?”

“I can be broken without being touched,” Oswald muttered, “Would it be a promise?”

Boisterous laughter bounced around him and trees on his left shook. Oswald turned quickly and watched a tall man step out from behind them. He was taken aback by how the man was dressed. He had never seen anything like it in modern times. He was used to people wearing plain pants and shirts. The people he worked around wore suits or dresses to always look stylish but this man looked like he belonged in a different era. He wore a dark green tunic that almost looked like it had been draped around his body and much like the stitches he had no clue what the material was. It had a silky sheen and with every move he made the material flowed around him as if it had a mind of its own. The slivers of light that caught it were reflected off. In contrast, he wore black pants that seemed to absorb any light and hold it in. His pants conformed to his legs and in stark contrast to his outfit he wore no shoes, yet his feet looked clean.

The man strode up to him and Oswald had to admit that the strange man was handsome. That didn’t mean he could let his guard down especially with the man jumping from a logical conversation to just randomly asking riddles. “Surprisingly you managed to answer the riddle correctly so I’ll make a deal with you. Promise that you’ll leave and never come back after you find this necklace of yours. Break this promise and I’ll do the same to you.”

“And if I play into your hypothetical scenario and don’t find it?”

“You get three days to look. After that the next time you step foot in my domain, you are as good as dead. Now you can agree or not but if you agree then asking all these questions wastes your time. If you don’t then all you’re doing is stalling your death.”

“Okay,” Oswald said sticking out his hand, “I’ll agree to your terms.”

“Wonderfull, and I will, of course, be escorting you to make sure you don’t wander off to places you don’t belong.”

Oswald scoffed, “Trust me I have no desire to be here. I want to find mother’s locket as fast as possible then I’ll be gone forever.”

“Trust you?” The man sounded incredulous, “I trusted that you would never come back, I trusted that people would be smart enough to never come here in the first place, I trusted.” He had been getting louder with anger slipping into his voice before he cut off abruptly. With a deep breathe the man continued. “Needless to say I don’t trust you and as little as I want to be around you, I will be accompanying you.”

“Fine, let's just get this over with.” With a huff, Oswald dropped his hand and turned away choosing to resume casting his eyes over the ground.

***

The intruder stared at the ground looking for the necklace. Edward watched him barely containing his annoyance at being forced to walk at a crawl. He was sure that this locket the man was speaking about was the very one he had found dangling from a bush. It had only taken him a moment to unwrap it from where it hung so that no wildlife what try to eat it. Ed hadn’t opened it out of respect for whatever contents it held. He had taken it to his home and left it there. He could have told the stranger that he knew about the necklace and was in possession of it but the man had never even bothered to ask if he had seen it. And as reluctant to admit it as he was Ed was intrigued. He could understand that the man had hidden here to survive his attackers. Ed understood being persecuted by others so he had sympathized with the man's plight. But to risk his life for a necklace, it obviously had some value, though he was unsure if it was monetary or sentimental. He knew curiosity could get him in serious trouble, it certainly had in the past but he couldn’t help himself. He had been on his own for so long first leaving his race then being tricked and exiled from Gotham but that was all long before this man’s time. Plus the man had solved his riddle, normally people ignored them. Yes, this odd man had probably only answered believing that it would prevent Edward from killing him but still he had answered and correctly. Not many of the people who tried ever got them right. Against all reason, he was following this man around on a pointless task just to have company, how pathetic. Then again if Ed was going to be spending the next three days in someone's company it would probably be best if he learned their name. “I’m Edward by the way. It’s been a while but I’m sure exchanging names is still part of your customs.”

“Part of… what? My customs?”

“Customs? Rituals commonly practiced in most circumstances. In my experience people generally, tell you their name in return.”

“No, I know what customs means, I want to know why you phrased it as my custom instead of just asking for my name.”

“Well, then my name is Edward, what is yours?”

“Are you, are you serious? You know what forget it.”

“You still haven’t informed me of your name.”

“Oh fine, it’s Oswald. Are you satisfied?!”

“I’m sensing a hostile edge to your tone.”

“And you called me stupid.”

“Excuse me!?” Edward whipped around to face Oswald from the few paces ahead of Oswald that he was. “Let’s not forget that this is my domain and if you step one foot out of the bounds I have set I will destroy you so maybe you should be a little more careful what you say.”

Oswald wanted to cower in front of Edward but his pride refused to let him. Instead, he pushed himself to his full height not that it accomplished much as Edward was so tall he still stared down at Oswald just to see him. “I don’t think you mean that. If you did you would have killed me the minute I walked into the forest. Instead, you not only let me live each time I entered you agreed to let me look for my mother's locket AND I’m guessing that you’re the one that stitched my chest wound closed. I think you’re all bark and no bite. You don’t mean a word you’ve said you just want to seem threatening.”

“You really think that. Fine then if it weren’t for me you wouldn’t be able to navigate through these trees back to the clearing you collapsed in.”

“I made it without you the first time and I can do it again.”

“Then best of luck but I’d love to point something out to you before leaving you to your utter demise. Don’t you think it’s kind of odd that you haven’t heard any animals except for birds since you got here?”

Oswald didn’t say anything. In all honesty, he hadn’t paid any attention to anything except the ground.”Oh, I see you didn’t even hear them. I’ll spell this out for you. Unlike you, I’m not human and the forest obeys me. I knew the moment you entered and I pitied you. I told the forest to give you an easier path to the clearing you ended up in. I’ve told all of the animals to stay away so they wouldn’t smell the blood and tear you to pieces. That’s why I stayed with you to make sure you would have the same path so you might find your necklace but if you think you can do this on your own then have at it. I’m gone but try not to scream too loud when the first predator you walk into eats you alive.”

Edward sharply turned on his heel and stormed into the woods. As much as he wanted to abandon Oswald he had made a promise, albeit one he was already regretting. He didn’t think this man would be this insufferable. His hopes of having someone competent to talk to were crashed like a boat hitting the sharp rocks of ashore. Still, he remained close making. He would keep this man safe that way his promise was fulfilled but after that Oswald was gone. He let the forest blend back into the shifting maze it normally was. He used his magic to keep any dangerous animals at bay though. Let Oswald try to find that locket now. It would be impossible for more reasons than one.


	3. Chapter 3

Oswald gaped at Edwards abrupt departure. He had expected the man to become flustered and try to talk his way out of what Oswald accused him of not just storm off. Still, he couldn’t stand staring forever he had to try and find the locket before night. After upsetting the man there was no telling if he would uphold his promise, then again hearing him talk Oswald had probably been speaking to an insane person. Sane people don’t claim to be able to control the forest and keep animals away. Edward was so slight he probably wouldn’t be able to defend himself from a squirrel. He continued forward scanning the ground just to run into a new obstacle. At some point, a tree had seemingly fallen to the ground blocking the path Oswald had been using. Looking around in abject horror Oswald realized that absolutely nothing looked familiar. He was surrounded by huge trees that blocked out vast amounts of sun but other than that everything had changed. He couldn’t even see a way around the fallen tree it stretched that far on both sides. He knew it hadn’t been there before but he had also memorized the way he left considering he had only had to go one direction. Oswald leaned his weight against the large trunk. With his injured leg, he would never be able to climb over it but walking around wasn’t an option either. The only thing he could do would be to retrace his steps and find where he must have gone off of the original path. He turned to start back when that chuckle broke through the silence again. “I’ve been gone for ten minutes and you already managed to get lost. Typical.”

Oswald turned his attention back to the trunk just to see Edward sitting on the far left of it watching him, lips curled in a smirk. “Have you been following me?” Oswald knew his exasperation leaked into his words. “But of course. I told you I would be keeping an eye on you. And I wouldn’t have missed this for the world. Since you’ve seen for yourself how impossible this will be without me, why don’t you apologize for how rude you were earlier and we’ll look for that necklace.”

“I could have just made a mistake there is no proof that you are the reason that I ended up in a different place.” “I suppose you could be right, after all, it is incredibly difficult to walk in one direction with no changes.”

Oswald nearly growled at Edward. “At least it makes more sense than some guy magically changing the forest.”

“Do you know of any other place that repels people like this one? The fact that practically no one manages to survive this one, in particular, doesn’t strike you as odd?”

“People make sloppy mistakes that get them killed.”

“You say that like you aren’t part of that group. And to correct what you said earlier, the forest has enough magic infused in it to shift and change on its own. I just use mine to make it stay on a set path.”

“That is ridiculous, everything you say is ridiculous. You’re insane.”

“You may think that but at least I know where I’m going, that puts me in a significantly better position than you.”

“Whatever, you can’t even prove what you said is real.”

“Of course I can,” Edward scoffed, “instead of trying to track all the way back just walk towards me from where you are and don’t look at the tree trunk.”

With that Oswald watched Edward slide off the tree and walk away from it to be directly facing Oswald. He rolled his eyes and then began to walk to Edwards attempting to keep the tree out of his line of sight. He made it to Edward just for him to turn and start walking away but before he did that he grabbed Oswald’s hand. “Follow me but close your eyes.”

Oswald jerked his hand away violently, startling Edward and gaining a quizzical look. “You do understand that I can’t guide you if you don’t take my hand right?”

“Don’t just grab my hand without warning.” Oswald hissed between gritted teeth.

“I gave you a clear explanation of why I took your hand. Honestly, people are so touchy. Now close your eyes.”

Without waiting for Oswald to comply he grabbed his hand and started pulling him along. Reluctantly Oswald followed Edwards instructions. They walked forward for only a few brief seconds before Edward dropped his hand and informed Oswald he could open his eyes. He looked around to see that the giant trunk was gone. Instead, they were standing in the same place they had been before Edward had abandoned him. “That’s not possible. We didn’t even go in the same direction.”

“I’m aware of what happened. Considering I’m the one that willed the forest to change to what we need.”

Oswald stared taking in the familiar sight. “You can do this whenever you want?”

Edward held his gaze for a moment without answering. “If you don’t look then you’re never going to find the necklace. But coming back tomorrow would be a better idea. The sun will be setting soon and trying to find your way out in the dark won’t be easy.”

Oswald looked up, astounded to see that Edward was right. “But how? I’ve only been here for a few hours.”

“Losing track of time is easy here. The fact that not much sun can break through the canopy makes it harder. I’ll take you back unless you want to try searching in the dark considering the moon won’t even be out tonight.”

Oswald wasn’t sure if he could believe him but as far as he knew Edward hadn’t lied yet. Still, it had only felt like a few hours at the most, not nearly enough to be anywhere near dark. He nodded and they began walking back to the forest's boundary. Edward stopped and gestured at the brambles. They slowly peeled away from each other making a path barely big enough for Oswald to walk through. “If you come here tomorrow just call for me and wait on the other side. I’ll come open it for you so you don’t end up with anymore ruined outfits.”

Oswald hesitated and Edward noticed. “Don’t worry, it won’t close until you’re fully through.”

Oswald waved his placation away. “No that’s not what I’m worried about.”

“The people who were chasing you then? They really did a number on your chest and potentially your leg but from my examination that injury seems older.”

Oswald leveled a glare at him before nodding. “The leg was what Fish called a learning experience. Last night was an attack due to my attempts to move up in the world.”

“I may not be the most experienced with people but I’m guessing that means you betrayed someone and it didn’t end as well as you hoped it would.”

He knew he was stalling but Oswald tried to find something else to talk about before having to face Gotham again. “Do you realize that the way you speak implies your not human, the way you dress is ancient, and that display of magic practically gives it away if nothing else did? Are you a witch?”

Edward chuckled but this time there was nothing malicious about it, in fact, it sounded fond. “I don’t see why that concerns you. You’ll only be spending two more days around me at the most and as funny as it would be to imagine you running around the town claiming a witch lives in the forest, I know you can’t since of course, you have to hide from whoever you’ve upset. You should go, I’m sure that they operate in the dark more than they do during the day. The reliable ones anyway.”

Oswald nodded, Ed had been right of course, and finally forced himself to walk through the trail of briars. He was glad that the journey home was uneventful. Arriving home he discovered that someone had broken into his apartment and completely destroyed it. He heaved a sigh and hoped that whoever had been sent was too stupid to notice the small details that suggested someone had been there recently. Either way, he had nowhere else to go. Oswald pulled the knocked over chair back into its proper position before settling in to eat his lunch now turned dinner. He couldn’t wrap his mind around what he had seen. After he ate his small meal he cleaned up as much as he could. Almost everything was unsalvageable and he was forced to throw it away. By the time he was done fatigue had fully set in and he fell into bed consumed with thoughts of what he had seen and more importantly when exactly Edward became Ed before he blissfully went to sleep.

***

Edward was happy to see the man go. He had been nothing but trouble since the very beginning. Oswald had caused him to think about memories he had repressed for decades. Though the witch comment had been endearing. A witch. With all of the creatures of myth available Oswald picked witch. He had met a few witches and none of them could control anything without preparing a spell first and it wouldn’t last nearly as long as he had lived here. His magic worked with nature it didn’t force anything. It was more like soothing the land into an agreement. Ed walked back by the boundary making sure that no one else had slipped by. He couldn’t be too careful. Just because the woods would listen to him didn’t mean they would tell him if anyone entered right now. Not with him having relaxed the magic that was around the edges to alert him. He patrolled the edge making sure there weren’t any tracks to suggest other people had intruded upon the land.

After he was satisfied he began to walk back to his home in the heart of the forest. He also allowed time to start flowing at its normal pace so it could return to the proper time. Speeding it up to get rid of Oswald faster then slowing it down could irritate the flow around the land and make it more temperamental if he asked. He would have to restrain himself from making any more requests even if Oswald brought uncomfortable topics to the front of his mind or persisted in bothersome behavior. Ed felt guilty enough for rushing Oswald today. It didn’t exactly break the rules of the promise but it was impolite even for this fruitless task. If the opportunity presented itself he might extend the deal by a few hours. He enjoyed the walk but letting Oswald in even if what they had mostly done was either sit in silence or fight had still left Ed lonely. It had been always been just him ever since SHE found out about him and drove him from Gotham for good. He couldn’t prevent himself from thinking about it. The people from that time were long since dead but he couldn’t risk any descendants recognizing him, as unlikely as it was.

He had been so naive and trusting back then. He had never been to the human realm and to finally see it was amazing. Some colors were duller but the spectrum was so much wider. The buildings had been astonishing and all of the new foods made in so many different ways blow him away. Everything his home had the humans had something more amazing. Then he met Kristen. Suddenly nothing could ever compare from either realm. He spent every waking moment with her and finally, he broke the one rule he was told to obey. He told her the truth about what he was. No just some mysterious traveler that blew into town looking to settle away from the rapid expansion happening farther west. She had been shocked but once that had worn off she had talked to him constantly asking about what he could do and why he had come to be part of their world. He was enamored and would have given her almost anything. She asked for the one thing he had thought that at that time he would have never given anyone. Kristen was upset but she had understood. They continued for months and then she broke his heart. Right before he went to confess she asked for him to make a deal with her. Her next words were shards of glass through his heart and he finally understood why his kind made so many vindictive deals. She asked him to cause a relationship to form between her and a brute of a man named Tom Dougherty. He agreed on the grounds that if he broke her heart she would wither away to an old woman and quickly fade out of existence. He knew it was wrong but he couldn’t help it and she never even questioned that Dougherty would leave her for someone else. Upon being questioned by Kirsten he revealed that he had followed through with his part of the bargain. He never claimed that they would fall in love just that they would date. He saw the betrayal in her eyes and understood the truth in what he had done. In making such a vindictive deal he had doomed himself to losing her too. He watched as she faded away and as much as he wanted to fix it he couldn’t go back on the deal. He thought that he would live among the people for a while longer after she died to get revenge on Tom for hurting her. He never got the chance though because SHE showed up at that point.

Ed was pulled from his thoughts as the trees and underbrush began to rot and decay around him. He took a deep breath before attempting to coax it all back to life. It wasn’t fair that the wildlife suffered due to his negligence. His walk ruined Ed was relieved to finally get home. He curled up in his bed and distracted himself with riddles until he fell asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

Oswald groggily levered himself out of bed. Pain pulsed through his leg in waves informing him that today would be incredibly difficult to make it through. He gradually exited the bed and lethargically attempted to follow the same routine as the day before taking great measures to avoid putting pressure on his leg. He ran into an issue when it came to food. When those hooligans ransacked his home they ate or took most of the food leaving him both breakfastless and incapable of making lunch. Accepting the wretched nature of his situation Oswald left making the now familiar stint to the woods. The only change came when instead of waiting for more daylight he immediately called for Ed. He didn’t have to wait long before the brambles separated like the red sea. He tediously made his way through and practically bumped into Edward on the other side. Before he could topple over he was caught and steadied with surprisingly strong hands. He saw Ed watching him with concern and spoke before he could stop himself. “Have you made a habit of creepily watching people.”

Instead of the outburst, Oswald expected to deal with he was instead met with the same unwavering concern. “Not really, I prefer to keep an eye on potential threats, but I may have to downgrade you from that level if you keep returning in such a compromised position.”

Oswald couldn’t quite believe it but it sounded like Edward was teasing him. The arms that were wrapped around him to keep him standing changed position. One was wrapped around his hip as if to cradle him close and the hand of the other was softly pressed against his forehead. “You don’t have a fever and I can’t sense any type of illness. You are partially dehydrated though. If you want I can help with the pain you’re in, as that is obviously the biggest problem right now.”

“I have lived with this pain for several years now and nothing really helps. I fail to see how you can improve my situation.”

“Easily, sit.”

Edward insisted on helping Oswald sit on the stump of a tree that he couldn’t recall having ever seen before. He knelt on the ground beside Oswald and carefully rolled up his pants leg. Every part of Oswald screamed at him to not let such an obvious threat anywhere near his vulnerable leg but he doubted he could stop Ed in his current state anyway. Once the old scar tissue was uncovered Ed gently placed his palms against it. The pain started to drain away and soon it was gone, even the tension that he normally felt had loosened. All of his energy was sapped with the pain and he felt himself falling backwards. ‘Lucky for me,’ he thought as Ed caught him again. He felt something growing up behind him and when Ed let go he could fully lean against it. “Don’t worry the tiredness will have faded by the time I get back. Stay here and seated, it’ll help you recover faster.”

With that Edward stood and dusted himself off all while walking away. He was soon out of Oswald's sight.

***

Edward willed the woods to take him directly home the moment he started stood up. With a brisk pace, he was at his house in several steps. He was thankful that the forest made the journey as brief as possible. Oswald's pain had not just disappeared. Instead, Edward had taken it upon himself and now he understood the full extent of what Oswald had been going through. Who knew how long he would have held out searching for the locket. Know all he had to do was gather the ingredients to make lite breakfast that would also restore some of Oswald's energy. That was the only setback Edward had found for helping alleviate pain. He could take the pain but it sapped energy from everyone involved. He wasn’t sure if Oswald would remain awake in the time it would take him to get back but he didn’t dally. Edward quickly fried some eggs and cut several apples into slices. It would make for a nice snack later. Once that was finished he gathered everything into separate bowls and filled a cup with water. Once he was finished he returned to Oswald. He had taken Ed’s advice and remained in the chair and Ed was happy to note he was still awake. “What two things can you never have for breakfast?”

Oswald blearily looked at him, not paying any attention to the two other tree stumps that grew. Ed used one for the food and the other to sit. “I’ll give you pass on answering since the days barely even started and you’re already having such a difficult time. The answer is lunch and dinner. Lucky for you, that’s not what we’re having.”

Ed placed everything down motioning for Oswald to eat. “Come on, it’ll help boost your energy levels and wake you up. Then we can get back to work and maybe find that locket.”

Ed chose to ignore the guilt prickling in the back of his head. Oswald finally began to eat after watching Ed take a few bites. “Ah, I see. You wanted to make sure nothing was poisoned. No worries, I promised you would live for three days. I don’t go back on my word.”

Oswald declined to respond by continuing to eat.

***

“Since we can put all of yesterday's nonsense behind us do you feel like today will be more productive?”

Edward acted like it was his goal to start a conversation with Oswald. He persisted on speaking all throughout breakfast, only stopping when he was chewing. Oswald had hoped ignoring him would make him realize talking was not welcome but apparently not. He continued to speak as they finished eating and that took away Oswalds one defense to not speak at all. “I do not know Ed, because I don’t know where or when I lost the locket. I can only hope today will be better.”

Ed nodded and stopped talking. For a brief moment, Oswald thought he would actually desist in his questioning only for Ed to speak once more. “Why is this necklace so important?”

Oswald didn’t want to divulge that information to a man he barely knew and who might not even be human but at the same time he was proud of his mother and if he played his cards right he might be able to leverage information out of Ed. Edward, they had only known each other for two days he couldn’t grow fond of someone he would never see again after tomorrow. Oswald corrected that thought too. Someone that he wouldn’t see again after today because he would find that locket and be free of this cursed place. “With how much you like riddles I bet you would like information to.”

Edward looked suspicious of Oswald's statement but nodded. “Then how about we trade information. I’ll tell you about the locket and you’ll tell me what you are.”

He watched in frustration as Ed shook his head. “I’m happy to play this game but that is something I can’t tell you for a few different reasons. You’ll have to ask something else.”

Oswald wanted to know what Ed was hiding more than anything else but it was obvious from his stance that this was something Edward wouldn’t budge on. “What about how you control the forest and why you don’t allow people in here?”

“That’s an acceptable trade but if you want me to answer your questions then your story on the locket will have to be extremely detailed, after all, I already know it was your mothers.”

“Then we have a deal. The locket is important to me because it was my mothers. She died a year ago and it is one of the few things I have left of her. The most important thing I have left of her. There’s a picture in it of her holding me as a baby. She was so bright and happy in that picture. Growing up it was just the two of us and that was part of the reason why I was bullied. Of course, the main reason was that children are little monsters and they sought to hurt me because I was different. She was always there through all of it, telling me how much better I was than those buffoons. How I was a great man that would do great things. She always believed in me and I did my best to make her proud. She hated it when she found out I worked for Fish’s gang. She was deeply upset and she died several days later due to heart failure but even after finding out what I did she still made sure that I knew she loved me.”

Oswald had been distracted by telling his story and when he realized he hadn’t been watching where they were going he cursed. Ed shot him a look before smiling “I’ve been paying attention to your story and the ground. We haven’t passed the necklace.”

The smile faded into a frown, “I’m sorry about your mother. I know what losing someone you love is like.”

Oswald only nodded, filing Ed’s admission away for later. He didn’t know why but he trusted Edward not to lie to him about seeing the necklace. He stopped to continue his story, Ed might not have seen it but that doesn’t mean he couldn’t miss it if he got distracted with Oswald’s story. “The picture on the other side is of my father. Mother never showed me the pictures inside the locket so I only discovered it after she died. I don’t know why she didn’t stay with him. She never spoke of him even the few times I asked about him. The only thing she would say was that he is a good man. I have nothing else to go off of so I’ve never been able to find him but it’s important to me that I have the photos because even if I never met my father that locket holds my family.”

Oswald stopped speaking expecting to hear Edward give him some fake placation but instead he saw Ed mulling over what he said and considering each bit of his story. It was a novelty to Oswald to have someone listen to what he said and take it seriously. “So it’s value is sentimental then. Thank you for telling me and being honest about it. Most people I’ve met would try to get away with telling you the bare minimum while expecting the full story from whoever they spoke to. I suppose I owe you the answer to your questions. Would you like to continue standing here or would you prefer to continue looking for the locket? I assure you I can speak and look at the same time.”

Oswald weighed his options. Standing around would only waste valuable time he could use to spend looking for the locket. On the other hand, if he paid more attention to Edward then he might miss the locket. A quick glance around should him that they were near the clearing where he had woken up. Seeing that he made his decision. “We should be close to the clearing soon. Let's finish searching the path and when we make it there you can answer my questions.”

Ed nodded his agreement and they were once more plunged into silence. The closer they got the more Oswald’s heart sank. He didn’t know how long the path was because he was rushing the first time he ever came through here and moving as quickly as he could to leave once he had gathered his bearings once he had woken up. The only hope he had left was finding the locket in the clearing and that dream was quickly smashed to pieces. The trees gave away to a small clearing with sunshine pouring in and a table with two chairs once more made from tree trunks. Oswald desperately looked around for a flash of gold. He walked around the little circle searching for any sign of the locket while Edward sat watching him and unpacking the apple slices that they hadn’t eaten at breakfast. Oswald clambered over and slouched into the unoccupied chair once it became obvious he wouldn’t find the locket. “I don’t understand, it should be here. We checked the trail that I took to get here.

***

Edward couldn’t say he was proud of his next action but Oswald had been a much better companion today and if nothing else it would hopefully convince Oswald to come back tomorrow to keep searching. “Well, that’s not technically true.” Oswald obviously wasn’t amused by what Edward said. “And what exactly do you mean by that?” “You had already been wandering through the forest by the time I got to you. I only partially dictated where you ended up when you first arrived. You might have lost it in the woods when you first entered and the forest shifted as a maze on its own.” “Your only telling me this now?! Do you know what part of the forest I went through before you found me?” Oswald couldn’t keep the fury from his voice. “Parts actually and no since the locket isn’t naturally part of this environment I can’t find it in any form as a way to narrow it down.” This is where Ed had to be most careful, he had to look sufficiently guilty for this part of the plan to work. “But since this was such a severe oversight on my part I’ll extend to you an invitation to continue looking here until you find it, regardless of the amount of time it takes.” Oswald looked cowed by the shift. “You demanded that I leave as soon as possible in a note before we ever spoke but now you’re saying I can have however long I need?”

“Yes. Even for a man that has to hide in the shadows two days was more than enough time for you to bring people here and try to attack me. You didn’t do that and instead, you actually told me the truth about yourself instead of trying to sell me lies. I believe you have proven yourself to be trustworthy and as rough of a start as we’ve had I do enjoy your companionship. So if you want to come back to search for the locket you’re more than welcome to. I must insist on being with you though because of the dangers of this forest.”

Oswald turned the words over in his head before making another point, “You also said that the three day search was part of a deal. Are you breaking that deal or will I end up dead because I fell for your trick?”

“Of course not Oswald we never actually shook on the matter hence there was only verbal confirmation of the plan never anything solid like a handshake.”

Satisfied with Ed’s answer Oswald replied, “Alright then since I no longer have to worry about the time limit and we know have a vaster range to search I suppose you should answer my questions from before.”

Edward was exhilarated by Oswald's agreement. It meant they would be seeing each other again and for an extended amount of time considering they would never find the necklace just searching random areas but he couldn’t let that excitement show, he had to remain calm and answer Oswald. “Controlling the forest is simple even if control isn’t quite the proper term. It’s more like I suggest what I would like and the forest responds to fulfill the desire I have expressed. It doesn’t have to but I don’t typically ask much of it so it has yet to deny me anything or cause me any problems. Mostly I ask for quicker routes to certain places. Sometimes my emotional state will cause a reaction but it has to be a very strong emotion for that to occur. I can’t be much more detailed than that as magic is part of why the forest will respond at all. Humans lack that magic that allows them to be in touch with the world around them. I don’t allow people here because they are destructive. I’ve seen how they treat the land they take so freely from.”

Edward paused for a minute before continuing, “Of course that’s only a minor reason and not one that bothers me too terribly. I lived in Gotham a long time ago, before you were even an idea. I loved it there until one day I was driven out and exiled. These woods are my sanctuary. Anyone who tries to enter is swiftly dispatched. I hide here in case there are some who would remember me and try to kill me. It’s why I let you live. Seeing you here reminded me of what I faced and I knew you were trying to survive a similar fate.”

“If it’s been so long since you were forced to leave why don’t you go back? I doubt anyone would recognize you, even if they were still alive.”

“It’s not a risk I want to take. I made a mistake while I was living amongst you humans and I don’t want anything like it to ever happen again.”

“Couldn’t you have just used your magic to fix it?”

“No, magic can do many wondrous things and many terrible things but it can’t fix everything.”

***

Oswald kept trying to find ways around what Edward had said but anything he came up with was rebuffed with either firm disagreement or gentle chortles depending on how outrages the suggestion was. It was made more difficult by Ed’s refusal to give him the whole story. The rest of the apple slices had been long gone by the time Oswald’s curiosity had been even mildly satiated but he couldn’t recall ever feeling more invested in a conversation. Not once had Edward insulted him. He had listened to every idea Oswald could come up with and even complimented some of them. It was liberating to finally talk to someone instead of someone else talking at him. He wasn’t sure but even for what seemed to be a problematic topic Edward looked to be enjoying himself. They sat around the table and continued talking jumping from subject to subject, with Ed occasionally adding in a riddle that Oswald only sometimes solved. This place truly seemed to interfere with timed because Oswald felt like he had been sitting there way beyond when the sun should have gone down by the time Ed pointed out how late it was. He didn’t want the conversation to end but he had to admit that even with Edward he was not at all interested in remaining here after dark. He got up and stretched quickly stopping when his chest twinged. He brought his hand up to rub at it only just remembering the wound. “You don’t have to be concerned about it. As long as you don’t overexert yourself and rip open the stitches you’ll be fine.”

Oswald accepted Edwards words but needed a bit more information. “What did you use as thread for the stitches, I’ve never seen it before.”

“And unless you manage to get injured like that again while I’m around it’s unlikely you’ll ever see it again. That ‘thread’ isn’t from the human realm. It also won’t need to be removed, it will dissolve when you’re sufficiently healed and since the cut wasn’t deep it’s unlikely the injury will scar.”

Knowing he wouldn’t get anything more from Ed about the thread itself he let the topic drop. They walked back to the edge of the forest but for the first time since they met the silence was amiable. The briars split once more but before Oswald departed Edward pulled him into a hug. “Good luck getting home, and be careful.”

Oswald returned the hug and nodded against Ed’s shoulder. While in the embrace he was surrounded by Ed’s unique scent. It was earthy with traces of green apple. Pulling away he nodded again and departed shooting glanced over his shoulder as he went.

***

Edward was sad to see him go but glad that some of the guilt would finally let up. He checked the perimeter once again to make sure it was still secure while he tried too plot what to do. He couldn’t let Oswald search forever for something he was guaranteed to never find but it also meant that he would keep coming back. He didn’t know how to handle the mess he had just put himself in. All of this for a human. He thought he had learned his lesson after last time but apparently not.


	5. Chapter 5

They continued to meet in the forest to look for the locket. Days turned into weeks which turned into months. Ed making food for Oswald to take home since he had to stay hidden because of Fish. During this time they continued to get closer. Some Days they never even looked for the locket, they just relaxed together and talked about whatever came to mind even if it was nothing. Edward spoke about what happened with Kristen editing out some of the details and never finishing the story no matter how much Oswald would beg. Oswald shared his stories about growing up and what his plans were for Gotham once he managed to secure enough power and safety. Edward helped relieve any pain that Oswald had due to his leg. Once Ed explained what how it worked Oswald began to insist that Ed stop so that he wouldn’t suffer, after all, it wasn’t his fault Oswald was hurt. Ed persisted in his course of action even when he had to be sneaky about it. They ate meals together and all the time they spent caused both of their feelings to grow Ed’s guilt to expand over his secret. The more he fell for Oswald the worse he felt but he could never find a way to bring up that he had the locket and worst of all he feared Oswald would no longer visit him once he had the necklace back. Other than Ed’s problem everything had gone well for three months but Ed never fortified the wards on the forest with Oswald coming and going and he had to pay for that sloppy mistake.

***

Seeing Edward was a huge delight and even more so when he had important news for him. Maroni had accepted him into the group which meant he could start to get his revenge against Fish. It had taken time but he had found a way to prove that he could be a helpful asset. Oswald had come to the forest so many times that he no longer had to wait for Edward to get by the brambles. They would part for him upon his arrival and all he had to do was call for Ed to announce his arrival. He wished he could go through the woods in the same way Ed did that way he could surprise him but alas any attempts he tried to get the forest to listen to him didn’t work. He called for Ed the second they opened and began to walk through. Edward was waiting for him on the other side with a grin painted across his face. Oswald wasted no time wrapping Ed in a hug. Pulling away Ed held Oswald close by wrapping an arm around his shoulders. They hadn’t even taken a step forward when sharp pain wracked Ed’s body. Oswald whipped around to see one of Fish’s goons removing a knife from Ed’s back. “I thought I saw you Cobblepot. You had been gone for so long I couldn’t believe it yet here you are. Fish is gonna be happy to see you brought back to her all nice and bundled up. Don’t worry you won’t be alone. You freak of a boyfriend gets to come to.”

Oswald looked over to see blood spread across the tunic Ed wore. The man only partially caught his attention by speaking again. “How’d you survive anyway. That’s not s’posed to be possible in this forest but I’ve never seen him around either. You make a deal? He helps you survive and you’d get on your knees and errrkk” 

Thick strings of brambles curled around the man's neck and body cutting into his skin and tightening around his throat until he choked. Ed’s voice slashed through the air filled with hatred. “Those brambles are going to cut you until you bleed out and once you're dead I’m going to hang your body from the trees for speaking to him like that. You disgusting pig.”

The man wheezed and scrambled to get out of the briars grasp but the more he struggled the more the squeezed. Oswald watched in fascination as the man was practically mummified. The only indicators that he was alive were the faint noises that could be heard and the occasional shake. “Help.”

Ed’s weak plea brought Oswald back to the moment. He dropped down next to Edward. “Eddie, what do you need. I can’t take you to a hospital it’s too far away.”

“No, no hospital. Help me stand up.”

“I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”

“Please, Oswald just trust me on this.”

With gritted teeth, Oswald helped Edward to his feet and supported his weight as best he could. He could feel blood wetting his hand and staining into his clothes. When Ed spoke it was with a weak voice. “Walk… walk forward and just keep going until you see a house.”

Oswald nodded and went forward as best as he could while supporting Ed. In only a few steps everything changed around them. Trees thinned out until Oswald walked into an entirely new area of the forest. A vast space stretched for miles with only hints of trees. The house wasn’t what caught his attention though. Oswald stumbled to a spot upon seeing huge emeralds almost as large as some of the trees growing out of the ground. Greenlight was cast all around due to the sun reflecting off of them also creating a magnificent sparkle. “Gawk later please, inside now.”

Refocusing on the task at hand Oswald managed to get Ed inside what he assumed to be his home. He followed the directions he was given to the bedroom and he gently deposited Ed onto what had the general shape and appearance of a bed. Ed took several shaky breaths before giving Oswald instructions to go to the door at the beginning of the hall. He was to wet a rag and grab bandages that were in the cabinet by the mirror and bring both items back. Once that was accomplished he was then sent into the kitchen. In there he needed to open the cabinet by the water basin and grab what should look like a large, glowing peach. Oswald did so dutifully trying to be as quick as possible. Oswald helped wipe the blood away from the wound then Ed asked him to bandage it. “Shouldn’t we stitch it? The knife went in really deep.”

Ed shook his head. “Just bandage, I’ll explain later.”

Not wanting to waste any more time Oswald wrapped the bandages around the lower part of Ed’s back, while Ed ate the fruit. Once Oswald finished Ed slumped over onto his side. He muttered a quiet thank you before passing out. Not knowing what to do Oswald went back outside to better examine what it looked like. From the outside, Ed’s house seemed to be composed of plain wood with leaves for a roof. It didn’t look like any other materials had been used and he knew he should be amazed but he was to distracted with the scenery. The emeralds had turned the land into a world of green. When Oswald got closer he could also see wisps of violet in the emeralds. Little opal rocks lie strewn over the ground clearly purple even with the green shadow. He was also stunned by the waterfall that fed into a lake. A few steps outside of the house in the right direction and he could already be at the water. As much as he wanted to explore he didn’t know if the forest would change and he didn’t want to go far from Ed in case he was needed. He stayed outside just trying to absorb and comprehend the place he found himself in.

***

When Edward woke up he thought that maybe everything was just a dream but when the pain in his lower back flared he quickly dismissed the notion. He took is time getting up careful not to reopen the wound. He checked the house for Oswald but he was met with emptiness in each room he checked. He opened the door to his house preparing to yell when he saw Oswald sitting on the steps. Oswald didn’t tear his eyes away from the spectacle that Edward had long been used to until Ed sat beside him. “Are you ok?”

Edward could sense how nervous Oswald was and leaned against him. “Yes Oswald, I’m fine and I’m going to recover without issue so don’t worry. It was a normal knife after all.”

“Don’t worry?! You were seriously hurt, you could have died!”

“While that was a possibility it was highly unlikely. The only thing that would have killed me was the prolonged bleeding if I didn’t eat.”

“We didn’t even stitch the wound.”

Ed hid his smile at how petulant Oswald sounded. “No, but we didn’t need to. The peach took care of it. It’s all healed up, it’ll just be tender for a few days.”

“You’re sure you are going to be completely alright?”

“Yes, I’m quite confident in my ability to make a full recovery.”

“Regardless I demand that you let me take care of you until you have fully recovered. It was my fault that you got hurt.”

“If you insist on it then you can but it really wasn’t your fault. I haven’t been guarding the edges as I should. It was more convenient not to so you could come and go easier.”

“But he wouldn’t have been there at all if he hadn’t followed me.”

“I see that you’re not going to let this go without someone being blamed so how about we share it. We both got sloppy and complacent but know we know better and we’ll be more careful. Agreed?”

Oswald nodded. “Alright then if you’re going to insist on trying to care for me then I have one rule. Absolutely under no circumstances can you eat any glowing fruit. Especially not if you see me eat it. Anything you want to eat check it with me to make sure it’s ok. This is non-negotiable.”

“I can do that but why?”

“It’s food meant for things like me, not humans.”

“Things like you? Are you ever going to tell me what those things are?”

“I told you what happened to the last person who knew what I was and you still want to find out?”

“She didn’t appreciate you properly, that’s her own fault.”

Edward shot up, wincing as he did so. “No. It was never like that. I messed up not Kristen.”

With that Ed marched back into the house, leaving Oswald alone once more.

***

He knew it was still a sore spot for Ed but he hadn’t expected such a bad reaction for bringing it up. He didn’t know how long he needed to give Ed to cool off so he stayed outside until the sun went down. The land was just as lovely in the night with the darker shade of green being cast around. Oswald went inside to find food sitting at an empty spot at the table and Ed sitting on the other side. “I was under the impression that I would be taking care of you not the other way around.”

“I doubt that you’ve eaten all day and you spent most of it outside. You can’t help me if you don’t take care of yourself. I’m going to finish my story. I want you to sit down and eat while I do.”

Oswald complied taking up the chair beside Ed. “ As you know I didn’t leave Gotham after Kristen died. I plotted my revenge on Dougherty for causing the deal to be broken on Kristen’s end. What I didn’t know was that Kristen had a twin sister named Isabella. On her deathbed, Kristen broke her promise and told her sister what I was and the deal we had made. She blamed me and sought to get revenge for her sister. Isabella came to me one day and spoke about how close she and Kristen had been and how she knew all about what a sweet friend I was, being with Krisen all the way to the end. I fell for it. They looked exactly alike and I could easily pretend she was her sister. I never thought that she would try to hurt me but one day she convinced me to bring an old, dying tree back to full health. It sat in the town square but no one was around so I thought it would be okay. I was wrong. She had told people to hide and she would risk her life because she needed people to see what a monster I was and how I killed her sister. Once the tree was living once more people burst out from their hiding places calling for my head. The dangerous fey needed to be stopped before he claimed another life. They chased me all the way to the forest but no one wanted to enter it. Except her, she continued to follow me until I finally stopped and asked her why she would betray me like that. I let her leave but after that, I fortified this forest and made it into my home. Isabella had studied fey and she understood that we can’t break or go back on our deals but she refused to accept that. She thought I could bring Kristen back on will alone. She didn’t like the answer and once she left villagers came to try and destroy me but anyone who got close died. Until you came along.”

Oswald sat stunned at hearing the entire story.”You’re a fairy?” 

“Technically speaking yes but there’s a lot more to it then the cookie cutter versions you hear as a child.” 

Oswald wanted to ask more but he saw grief and exhaustion etched into the lines around Ed’s eyes. He leaned forward to smooth them only to kiss Edward instead. Ed’s eyes fluttered before he shut them and leaned in. They pulled away grinning relieved that they had taken the next step in their relationship.

***

Oswald took care of Ed like he had promised, glad to be of help. They spent days together and Edward explained that he had grown the crystals when he had come to the human realm. Everything went well until Oswald went looking for a missing tie pin. Oswald was fumbling around Ed’s dresser looking for the missing pin when he opened a drawer and found a golden locket. “Ed?”

“Yes, Oswald? I already told you I don’t know where you put your tie pin.”

He turned holding the locket, and he saw all of the color drain from Ed’s face. “How long have you had this?”

Oswald's voice was a whisper. “I can explain, I found it and…”

“How long have you had this?”

He repeated himself forcefully. Refusing to look Oswald in the eyes he responded, “Since the night you lost it.”

“You’ve had it this entire time?!”

“Yes but please, let me explain. I was going to give it back to you when you came looking ut you never asked for it so I was going to make you look for three days before. Then we talked and I actually like you and I knew you wouldn’t come back if you weren’t looking for it, so I kept it until the right time. But there was never a right time and then the guy stabbing me happened. I just didn’t want you to leave me and not come back once you got it.”

“Instead of getting over your insecurity and giving me back the thing I value most in this world you decided to withhold it from me and just lead me around on a wild goose chase so you wouldn’t be lonely?! Your pathetic Ed, do you know that? Pathetic. I can’t believe I wasted all of this time with you.”

“Oswald please.”

Oswald smacked away the hand that Edward was reaching out to him with. “No, I’m done playing house in this twisted little fantasy of yours. I’m going home or at the very least I’m going somewhere in the forest where I can be eaten by something because even that would be better than being here with you. Don’t ever come near me again!”

Oswald slammed the door as he left leaving Edward alone in the house. Tears slipped down his face and as much as he wanted Oswald to stay he willed the forest to take him to the edge. Edward would give Oswald what he wanted. Even if he didn’t like it.


	6. Chapter 6

People noticed that the forest had shrivelled and looked dead. All of the leaves on the trees were brown and the trunks looked blackened. The wall of brambles had grown taller than a normal person, not that anyone would go near it to check. While this happened Oswald advanced in Maroni’s gang. He helped destroy many of Fish’s popular trading spots. It all went well until someone tipped Maroni off that Oswald used to work for Fish. He had a strict policy against taking in people who used to work for other gangs. This all lead to an elaborate trapped which left Oswald running for his life yet again. This time he feared that the wound was too deep but he ran anyway. Back to the one place he had always been safe even if he hadn’t realized it.

Oswald expected to have to force his way through the briars due to how long it had been since he had last been hear but they opened upon his arrival and as if sensing his urgency they immediately closed after he passed through. He fell to his hands and knees, already seeing blackness in the corner of his eyes. A timid voice broke through the haze in his mind. “Oswald.”

He glanced up to see fear spread across the face of the man he had been missing for months. “Oswald! What happened?”

Oswald nuzzled the warm hands that cradled his face. Struggling to understand the question. He was pulled to his feet which he protested with a groan but when he looked around he saw they were in the crystal clearing. With a smile, he started to fall back to his knees. “Oswald no. You can’t stop here. Just a little more and I can bandage you up it’ll be fine, you’ll be fine.”

“No, won’ be alrigh. Lost so much blood. Too many wounds.”

Oswald’s words slurred as he tried to get through to Ed. “You’ll wasss bandages. I can’t be fixed.”

“What do you expect me to do?! Sit back and watch you die! I can’t, okay, I cannot do that.”

“Shhh, it’ll be alright, worked a dangerous job, would’ve happened anyway. You lived a long time before you met me, you’ll survive losing me.”

Something Oswald said caused Ed to go completely still before he settled him on the ground propped against a crystal. “How about we make a deal? I’m bound to any deal I make I can make one with you right now.”

“Deal? What deal? Eddie, it’s not really the time for games I’m kind of dying.”

He noticed tear tracks on Ed’s face but chose not to comment on them. “Instead of just you dying here and me living on miserably, I’ll make you a deal, I can entwine our souls and I’ll die with you but every time we’re reborn we’ll meet. Again and again and again.”

“Oswald’s missed most of what Ed said because his ears were ringing but the idea of seeing him again sounded nice. “Mmk Eddie, I wanna see you again.”

“Wonderful, then all you have to do is shake my hand.”

Oswald took Ed’s hand in a very loose grasp and they shook on it. Everything around them immediately started to crumble but neither of them noticed as they faded into darkness, Ed’s body collapsing against Oswalds.


	7. Chapter 7

“Who are you?”

“Edward,” He took a slight pause, “ Nygma. I know who you are.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the end of The Crystal Clearing, I hope you liked reading it. Please feel free to give me feedback on it!


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